Switch construction and arrangement



Sept 1935- M. GOLDBERTI ET AL 2,054,415

SWITCH CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Filed Marc h 4, 19:55 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I'll INVENTORS 9 MAX L. GOLDBERT 2%) 7'. WATT5- p 1936 M. GOLDBERT ET AL 213549415 SWITCH CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Filed March 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/II IIIIIIIIIIIIII- INVENTORS MAX L. GOLDBERT BRYOY T. WATTS Patented Sept. 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE tric Trading Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 Application March 4, 1935, Serial No. 9,212

6Glaims. (01175-369) g This invention relates to switch assemblies.

It is an object of this invention to devise a simplified switch assembly which will requirefewer.

parts, which will be easy to assemble and will cut down the number of operations necessary for assembling, which will be sturdy and compact, and which will provide good electric connection with a minimum of joints. Further objects will become apparent in the course of the specification.

In the drawings, wherein we have shown an illustrative embodiment of our invention in which three switches aremounted together,

Fig. l is a front view of the switch panel;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section of oneof the switches, showing its relation to the panel and housing, taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail-in perspective of the spacer arrangement;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the panel with switches removed; v

Fig. 6 is a rear view (turned over on the transverse axis) of the panel with switches removed;

. and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line l -l of Fig. 5.

Reference character Ill indicates the main panel, of insulation material, on which'are mounted the stationary parts of three switches designated generallyas I2, l4 and I 6. Switch apertures II in the panel accommodate the switch rotors l8, each ofwhich comprisesa shaft 20,

having at one end, an enlarged head 2|, at the other a knob 24, and two sets of switch points 26 and 28 intermediate the ends.

On the front face of the panel I is mounted a single conductor strip30 having three contacts 32. This strip 30-has three holes registering with holes in panel [0, through which hollow rivets 34 are placed and flanged over. It will be observed that this simple construction provides three-contact points which are directly connected electrically, securely affixed, and held against turn-.

ing. The contact blades 32 jut in radially of the apertures II, but from the blade to the riveting point each angles off to the side. Furthermore, in this same portion, the contact has an offset double bend to space it out-from the panel face. This off-set double bend is true of every one of 50- the contacts on both faces.

Three individual contact points 36 are secured to the face of the panel, 90 counterclockwise of rivets 38, flanged over, secure them to the panel.

the direction being opposite tothat of contact "detail. Sufiice it to say that as the rotor shaft 021 eachof these contact points an arm 40 extends out and has a bent-in finger 42 which fits in a hole 44 in the panel. Thus the single fastening means for each of these contacts serves to attach it to the panel and also secure it in such way as to prevent rotation. As will appear later, it serves another function as well.

180 farther aroundcounterclockwise a similar set of contacts 45 have hollow rivets 48 securing;

them to the panel, and arms 50 terminating in fingers 52 cooperate with holes 54 to 'keepjthese contacts from turning. 0n the reverse side of panel In is a duplicate set of contact points, the relationship between the contact points on the two faces being indicated by the full and dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6.

The integral metal strip 56 provides contacts. 58, and-is secured to the panel by hollow rivets 60. Contact points 52 are secured to the panel by hollow rivets 64, and have arms 66 with bent-in fingers 68 fitting in holes and preventing the contact points from turning. It will be noted that the contact members 62 are angled to the side, between the blade tips and the riveting points,

members 32, so that the blade tips of contacts 32 and 62 form alined pairs at aperture ll, yet their fastening means are spaced and the two contacts are insulated from each other.

Another set of contact points 12 comes opposite the front face set 46, and the same hollow rivets 48 attach both contacts to the panel and electrically connect them to each other. The contacts 12 have arms 14 with bent-in fingers 16 which extend into the same holes 54 which hold fingers 52. g

The particular construction of the switch rotors with their switch points is not in itself of our invention, and. will not' be described in great '40 is turned, preferably by a snap mechanism interposed between the knob and the shaft, the two sets of switch points 26 and 28 engage and connect various of the contact points, the spring jaws of the switch points sliding on overthe knife edges of the contact points and gripping same. f

The contact points'on the panel are connected to the current source and the various resistance coils or the like which theswitch assembly controls, by wire leads, which may be single as shown in' Fig. 7 or multi-strand or of some other type. The end of the wire 18 is inserted in the hollowrivet and a ring of solder l9 fused about the wire, the rivet, and the body of the contact member.

A rear panel 82 is provided to enclose the switch assembly .and to provide journals for the rotor shafts and also to mount a quadrantal spring detent 80 which cooperates with the rotor and any snap mechanism which may be employed in connection therewith.

This unit of switches, center panel and rear panel is complete and rigidly fastened together and its spacing relations fixed. It can then be applied to any appropriate housing or other surroundings. For example, there is shown in phantom in Fig. 2 afront panel 84, which in practice would probably be the front casing wall of an electric cooker or other" apparatus, and peripheral walls 86. Bolts or other fastening means would clamp the rear panel 82 and the front wall 84 together, with walls 88 between as a spacer and peripheral housing. A U-shaped bracket member 88 is provided for each switch and serves to space the front panel, the main insulation panel, and the rear panel. This member 88 is provided with a central opening 98 which serves as a front bearing for the rotor shaft. The rear panel 82 has an opening 92 for each switch which serves as a rear bearing for the rotor shaft, which is held in position by its head 2 l. Member 88 has upper and lower shoulders 94 which bear against the front face of the panel I 9. Narrowed portions 96 extend through slots 98 in panel I and on through slots I 00 in panel 82 where the projecting ends are split, headed, or otherwise secured, as illustrated at l0l. Between panel l0 and panel .82 a spacer member I02 is provided on each arm 96 to space panels l0 and 82 apart. This spacer member I02 which is most clearly seen in Fig. 4, is U-shaped and has slots I04 and I06 at the bends through which portion 96 of member 88 extends.

It will thus be seen that the shoulders 98 and the heads 98 limit separation of the center panel and the rear panel, and the spacer members I02 .hold the said panels apart, giving a rigidly fixed structure. It will be realized that while an assembly of three switches has been shown, the invention is not limited to this number but is applicable to any plurality of switches and in part is applicable to a single switch. Furthermore,

' this assembly constructioncan be used in connection with any of a great number of types of electrical apparatus. In actual commercial practice it has been found that the carefully worked out construction here disclosed has effected important economies in manufacture while giving advantages over other constructions in simplicity, ease of assembly, sturdiness and good electric contact and conductivity.

Accordingly we wish our invention not to be limited to the exact disclosure hereof, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an electric switch assembly, an insulation panel having two apertures therein, an apertured contact point mounted on one face of said panel, a second apertured contact point mounted on the other face of said panel, a hollow rivet passingthrough the apertures of both contact points and the first aperture in the panel. and being headed at each end, and an arm extending out from each contact point and having a bent-in end portion, both of saidbent-in end portions fitting in the second panel aperture, and a conductor wire fitting in said hollow rivet whereby to make electrical connection with both contact points.

2. In a switch assembly, an insulation panel,

a contact member, a hollow attaching member, and a conductor lead, said panel having two apertures,'said contact memberhaving an aperture, a blade portion, and an arm portion extending out from the aperture and terminating in an inwardly bent portion, the contact member aperture and one of the panel apertures being alined and the attaching member passing through both and being flanged out at both ends, the bent over end of the contact member arm fitting in the second panel aperture, and the conductor lead extending into the hollow of the attaching member and being soldered thereto. 3. In a switch assembly, an insulation panel having an aperture therein for a switch rotor, adjacent said aperture on one face of said panel a contact member having a blade portion jutting in radially over said aperture and a portion angling to the side of said radial line, an attaching means extending through said angled portion of the contact member and through the panel, on the other face of said panel a second contact member having'a blade portion jutting in radially over said aperture axially opposite the first-mentioned.contact blade and having a portion angling to the side of the radial line in the opposite direction from that of the contact member on the first face, and an attaching means extending through said angled portion of the contact member and through the panel, the relative shape of the parts being such that there is no contact between the twocontact members or their attaching means.

4. In a switch assembly, an insulation panel,

a back panel, a bar passing through apertures in both panels and having shoulders outside of one panel and an enlarged head outside of the other panel, a U-shaped spacer member between the panels, said spacer member having an aperture in each bent over end portion, said bar passing through said apertures, the relative dimen sions of the spacer member and the bar being suchas to hold the two panels at a definite distance from each other- 5. In as'witch assembly, an insulation panel,"

a back panel, a pair of apertures in each panel,

a switch shaft journal in the rear panel, a U- shaped bracket member having a center portion spaced forward of the insulation panel and having a journal for the switch rotor shaft therein, and having two arm portions extending through the apertures in both panels, shoulders on the arm portions abutting against the front 'face of the insulation panel, enlarged heads at the ends of the arms immediately outside of the rear panel, and spacer membersgabout the portions of the arms between the panels.

6. In a switch assembly, a front panel, a center insulation panel, anda rear panel, a bracket member extending through the center and rear panels and having abutments outside both of i from said center panel, and a spacer member between the center and rear panels to space them against moving closer together, said bracket member passing through anaperture in said spacer member.

M. L. GOLDBERT. ROY T. WATTS. 

